Introduction to the Christmas Season

The celebration of Christ’s incarnation at Christmas is, with Easter, one of the two central points of the Christian year. We wonder at the mystery of God’s dwelling among us in the fullness of humanity, foretold by the prophets and born of Mary. Christmas is however much more than simply the celebration of Jesus’ birth, as we are reminded, amid the celebrations, of the profound truth of the Word made flesh for our salvation.

The Christmas season is often celebrated for twelve days, ending with the story of the wise men visiting Jesus at the Epiphany. However the church now celebrates an alternative tradition, in which Christmas lasts for a full forty days, ending with Candlemas on 2 February. In January we also remember the conversion of St Paul on the road to Damascus, the crucial moment leading to him being the apostle to the non-Jewish world. Finally between 18-25th January we celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, as we come together with fellow Christians here in Barnes and around the world, remembering Jesus’ call for us to be united in him.